


all the girlfish in the sea

by TheDukeofAvon



Category: Tennis RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 05:55:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2840537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDukeofAvon/pseuds/TheDukeofAvon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Serena is going to tell her eventually.</p>
            </blockquote>





	all the girlfish in the sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [littlerhymes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlerhymes/gifts).



> Best pairing. Yes.

There are plenty of times and places it could happen.

 

_(a) at the party_

This situation is Serena’s fault, because she totally let the sponsor guys corral her in a corner with Maria Sharapova, and now she feels like they’re supposed to talk to each other about...something. Maybe they can talk about fashion. 

It takes approximately two minutes to get a good argument going.

“Are you serious,” says Maria. It’s not a question. Maria is beyond questions now, and Serena is wondering whether there was a worse tactic in all the world. The sponsor guys will not be happy if someone gets punched.

Caro is picking her way determinedly through the crowd, and Serena has never been happier to see her.

“Have fun with your granny dresses,” Serena tells Maria.

“I really don’t like you,” says Maria.

Caro grabs Serena by the hand and drags her off toward the other end of the room.

“Do you like my dress?” Serena demands. She’s almost tripped on it once, but overall she thinks it’s a damn good dress.

“What?” says Caro. “You know I like your dress. You sent me the photo two weeks ago.”

“ _Some people_ ,” says Serena, “do not like the dress.”

“Well, that’s stupid. You’re in the dress. You’d make Maria Sharapova’s dress look good.”

“I think I’m in love with you,” says Serena.

 

_(b) out clubbing_

Serena always has some fun watching the guys who follow Caro around. Oh, most of them are boring, and on average the ones who follow her are better entertainment. But that really crazy one, out of his mind and on some other plane of existence entirely--that guy is always Caro’s. 

It takes Caro awhile to escape, because sometimes she is too nice and sometimes she is too intrigued.

“Did you know,” says Caro, “that people aren’t exactly sure how these certain squids reproduce? But it might involve, like, a facial cumshot.”

“Wow,” says Serena. “And this information didn’t convince you to go home with him?”

“I don’t think he even wanted to,” Caro mutters. “He just wanted to talk about squid.”

“He shouldn’t have been able to think about squid. He should have been too blinded by your beauty.”

They’re almost back to the hotel by now.

“Should he?” says Caro.

“ _I_ wouldn’t be talking about squid.”

“Really?” Caro does an unsteady pirouette on the sidewalk. “What if you wanted to fertilize my face?”

“That’s--oh my god, why did you have to put it like that?”

“You do,” says Caro. “You totally want to.”

“I think I’m in love with you,” says Serena.

 

_(c) on the court_

It’s stopped raining long enough that they’re letting them back out on court. The tournament director is hovering nervously near the door.

Caro’s talking to herself, not moving her mouth but Serena knows that expression well. Serena was a game away from the match when the rain came.

She tries not to keep looking at Caro. It’s only fair.

The clouds are low and dark and it’s gonna be raining again in five minutes, Serena is sure of it. They’ve had two rain delays already. The warmup is torture.

But they make it through in time, courtesy of a few good returns and a lucky net cord. Serena holds her racket up. She isn’t sorry.

The clouds are opening back up, rain falling lightly over the requisite kiss at the net.

“At least you got it done,” says Caro, and makes a face. She’ll be losing points this week.

“Good luck next week,” says Serena. 

Caro’s lips twitch at the corners and then she smiles. “I know you mean it, because you’re not playing.” 

Serena laughs. They still have their arms half-around each other.

“I think I’m in love with you,” says Serena.

 

_(d) wherever Caro is_

They’re in Caro’s hotel room. Serena hadn’t planned to come here. She’d wanted to chill out in Miami for awhile, and stop getting onto planes all the time. But it was raining in Miami, and Caro wasn’t there.

“I think I’m in love with you,” Serena says.

Caro’s eyes go wide. Then she flees. 

It’s only into the bathroom, so she’s still right there, but she shuts the door very firmly.

The thing is, what happens before doesn’t matter as much as what happens after. Serena knocks on the door.

“Caro? Uh, what...” This isn’t how Serena had imagined it at all. “...Are you alright in there?”

No response.

“Look, I guess I kind of sprang that on you--” She doesn’t think she did, not really, but maybe it was different for Caro. “Anyways, sorry, will you please come out of the bathroom?”

Serena’s phone buzzes in her pocket. She ignores it for a second, and then she wonders.

It is, indeed, from Caro.

_I’m too embarrassed_

“Oh, my god,” says Serena. “Just come out of the bathroom.”

The door opens. Caro stands there, eyeing Serena uncertainly.

“On a scale of one to ten,” says Serena, “how badly do you want me to take that back?” She might do it for a ten. Probably not, but she’d consider it.

“I don’t,” says Caro. “I mean, negative three?”

“What was that, then,” says Serena blankly. 

Caro shoves a piece of hair back behind her ear. “I don’t know. I just freaked out for a second.”

“Oh,” says Serena. “Well. Anyway.”

Caro steps forward and kisses her.

Her lips are soft and careful. It’s funny, somehow, that this is something new. Something unfamiliar about Caro, after all this time. 

But Serena knows the way Caro’s body fits up against hers, the way Caro’s arms wrap around her. She’s been almost-kissing Caro long before now. 

And Caro knows her too, from the way she rocks in closer. Her lips are less careful now.

“I love you,” says Serena, and it comes easily this time.

“I love you too,” Caro whispers. 

“I guess I should’ve said before.”

“Me, too,” says Caro. “I don’t know why I was so surprised. I--think it was more that you actually said it.”

“Yeah,” says Serena. “You’ll get used to it eventually.”

 


End file.
